I lost 5 silkie chicks and 5 Polish in a period of 1 week

[Madmagic]

Hi everyone, i am very new to this although i have successfully raised a few before this incident. i don't know what i did wrong this time. The chicks instantly become frizzled and look like they are cold and before i can do much i loose them. i want to try again but i need a little advice before i can go in again

 

[Butterscotchbitesfinger]

What’s the heat lamp like?

 

[Madmagic]

i use a 100 watt bulb.

 

[Butterscotchbitesfinger]

i use a 100 watt bulb.

Anything toxic in there?

 

[Madmagic]

i don't think so, as i clean daily.i got rid of the old brooder and will be constructing a new one. got a few ideas online that i want to try

 

[Butterscotchbitesfinger]

i don't think so, as i clean daily.i got rid of the old brooder and will be constructing a new one. got a few ideas online that i want to try

I hope your baby chicks are okay! I have a crisis currently where this chick has nearly been pecked to death

 

[Madmagic]

I hope your baby chicks are okay! I have a crisis currently where this chick has nearly been pecked to death

the smaller ones i have are about 3 months old now and the older ones love them so much, will upload a photo of them soon

 

[Madmagic]

thats the youngest and one of the oldest. the oldest are just 6 months though and the younger ones are 2

 

[Butterscotchbitesfinger]

thats the youngest and one of the oldest. the oldest are just 6 months though and the younger ones are 2

Ah so they aren’t day olds

 

[rebrascora]

Hi and welcome to the forum. I'm so sorry that it is under such sad circumstances that you have joined us. Losing so many chicks like that is heart breaking.
I'm a little confused because it sounded like they were just very young chicks but clearly not from the photos.
How old were they and where did you get them from?
Did they all come from the same source? ie. a hatchery or a breeder and if the latter, the same breeder or different ones?
How long had you had them when they became ill?
What did their poop look like when they became ill?
Did you try treating them for Coccidiosis with Corid?
Were they vaccinated for Marek's disease?

There are two main killers of chicks, disease wise.... Coccidiosis and Marek's disease. It may be something else but when you get a number of deaths it is often one of these two.

Before you start again you really need to figure out what the problem is. You have not included your location on your profile page. If you are in the states then getting a necropsy done on the most recently deceased chick at your state veterinary diagnostics lab would be the sensible thing to do. State labs are often subsidised so it may be relatively inexpensive or even free in one or two states, so well worth enquiring. If you give us an idea of where you live, we can dig out some information for you.

If you do decide to start again, a Mamma Heating Pad is a much healthier and more natural way to brood chicks than a light bulb, especially a normal one. Being under light day and night can be stressful for their bodies and does not prepare them for the real world. A Mamma Heating Pad creates a warm cave with a heat pad and a simple wire structure to support it and emulates a broody hen so that the chicks run under it to get warmed up. It is dark under there so they get used to day and night as they naturally would and only a very small part of the brooder is heated. This is much more healthy and safer than a heat lamp. There is a very long thread by @Blooie about making one and using it.